Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary
interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included
in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests
that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest,
he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the
public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of
business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is
permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a
dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek
advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the
Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw
from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during
the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has
an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or
remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

Minutes:

No declarations of any
disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were
received.

Further to Minute No. 55 of the
meeting held on 1 November 2018, the Cabinet considered the report
of the Head of Schools and Families which provided details of the
officer’s response to the alternative options put forward by the Sand Dunes Nursery School staff and parents
for the continuation of the Nursery School. The report indicated
that no further representations had been received following the
publication of the Statutory Notice and Stage 3 consultation period
held from 14 November to 12 December 2018.

The report also indicated
thatthe school was currently overspending by
approximately £170,100 a year and has now exhausted its
available balances. The projected financial position for 2018/19
was a deficit of £306,600. Should
the school close at the end of August 2019 the closing school
deficit budget was predicted to be -£404,600 and this would
need to be met by the local authority.
There would also be closure costs that would need to be factored
into the final deficit position but these were unknown at this time
and so cannot be quantified.

The Head of Schools and
Families referred to the alternative options set out in Section 3
of the report and the officer’s views that the options were
not financially viable and that no business case had been provided
for the options; the decision-making process set out in Section 5;
the matters to be considered in determining the proposal to close
the school set out in Section 8 and the summary and conclusion set
out in Section 9 of the report.

During the deliberations,
Members raised the following observations/questions:

Councillor Lappin enquired if
the School were in agreement with the officer’s assessment of
the alternative options submitted?

The Head of Schools and
Families indicated that a number of meetings had been held with
representatives of the school to discuss the alternative options
and the Chair of the Governing Body and the Headteacher had agreed
that the options submitted would not balance the school’s
budget.

Councillor Cummins enquired
about the support that would be offered to staff at the school, if
a decision was taken to close the school.

The Head of Schools and
Families indicated that all of the staff would be provided training
on writing CVs and job applications, and on interview techniques.
The Personnel Team would meet with each member of staff to develop
and produce personalised packages of support for them.

All of the primary schools in
Sefton would guarantee an interview for members of staff at Sand
Dunes Nursery who met the essential criteria requirements for each
job advertised.

If it was decided that the
Nursery School should be closed, statutory consultations would be
held with the trade unions.

Councillor Hardy enquired about
the support that would be offered to families to find new nursery
places for their children if a decision was taken to close the
school.

Further to Minute No. 68 of the
meeting held on 6 December 2018, the Cabinet considered the report
of the Chief Executive which provided details of the proposed
action plan to address the findings and recommendations in the
Local Government Peer Review report.

Decision
Made:That

(1)
officers be authorised to progress the proposed actions, set out in
the action plan; and

Peer Reviews are a proven tool for sector-led
and the Council has always been open to learning from others and
sharing our good practice.

The challenge provided external recognition of
the things it believes the Council is doing well, highlighted where
the Council can learn from other councils in light of best practice
elsewhere and recommended a number of key actions.

In
December 2018, the Cabinetconsidered the LGA
peer review report, accepted the recommendations and requested the
development of an action plan.

The
Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources
which provided details ofthe review of the
Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2018/19 and the proposals for no
change to be made to 2019/20 Scheme for working age claimants;
proposals to increase to the long term empty homes premium from 50%
to 100% following the outcome of the consultation; and details of
the updated Council Tax Base for Sefton Council and each Parish
area for 2019/20.

(2) the Council be
recommended to make no changes to the existing Council Tax
Reduction Scheme for 2019/20 for working age claimants;

(3) the outcome of the
consultation and equality impact assessment on the proposal to
increase the long-term empty homes premium as set out in Annex B be
noted,

(4) the Council be
recommended to approvean increase to the
long-term empty homes premium from 50% to 100% from 1 April 2019, as
indicated in section 5.7 of the report; and

(5) the Council be recommended
to approve the relevant 2019/20 Council Tax Base for Sefton Council
and each Parish Area as set out in Annex A of the
report.

Reasons for Decision:

CouncilTax
ReductionScheme

Each financial year the Council must consider whether to revise
or replace its Local

Council Tax Reduction Scheme. The Council must approve and adopt
the 2019/20 Council Tax Reduction scheme by 11 March
2019. Note - the deadline has been
moved from 31 January to 11 March. This
has been delivered through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme
(Amendment) (England) Regulations 2017.

The
report comments on the impact of various changes made to the scheme
for the current year 2018/19 together with the impact of the
Government Welfare Reform changes. After consideration of the
factors outlined in the report it is proposed that the Local
Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2019/20 remains unchanged for
working age claimants.

Long-term empty homes
premium

Increasing the long-term empty
homes premium is intended to encourage owners of homes that have
been empty for more than two years to bring them back into use. Any
additional income raised from the premium will help support the
provision of Council services.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Council Tax Reduction Scheme

TheCouncil revisedits localCouncil Tax ReductionScheme in2018/19
followinga consultation process. The changes were introduced in April 2018
and continue to be monitored to fully assess the impact. A longer
period is needed to fully evaluate the impact of the changes and to
allow a period of stability for residents claiming Council Tax
Reduction. As aresult, noalternative optionsfor change have
been considered for2019/20.

Empty Homes Premium

The Council could choose not to
increase the long-term empty homes premium; however, this would not
provide any additional incentive for owners of long-term empty
homes to bring them back into use.

The Cabinet considered
the report of the Head of Corporate Resources which provided
details of the current forecast revenue
outturn position for the Council for 2018/19 and potential impact
on the 2019/20 budget; the current forecast on Council Tax and
Business Rates collection for 2018/19 and the current position of
the 2018/19 Capital Programme.

Decision
Made:That:

(1)
approval be given to the implementation of the mitigating actions
to deal with the significant budget pressure that have been
identified and are detailed within the report;

(2) in the event that
there is material change to the 2018/19 outturn

forecast, additional remedial measures should be identified in
order that a balanced budget position can be achieved;
and

(3) as a result of the
impact of the current financial position in 2018/19,

and
its subsequent impact on the 2019/20 budget, officers continue to
identify new budget saving proposals for Members to consider in
order that a robust and sustainable budget can be set for
2019/20.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure Cabinet are
informed of the forecast outturn position for the 2018/19 revenue
and capital budgets as at the end of September 2018 and to provide
an updated forecast of the outturn position with regard to the
collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.

In March 2017 Council
approved a three-year budget plan to March 2020. The final two
years of this plan were revised in March 2018 as part of the
process of setting the 2018/19 budget. The Council is half way
through the second year of the budget plan and remains confident
that the strategic approach to budget planning alongside good
financial management and extensive community engagement means that
it will secure future sustainability to 2020 and beyond. However,
in year demand for social care services is currently resulting in
the costs for these services exceeding the budget. Corrective
action will be required to bring the overall budget into balance
before the end of the financial year if the position worsens over
the coming months.

The Cabinet considered the
report of the Head of Corporate Resources which provided details of
the Council’s current procurement arrangements
for the delivery of apprenticeships and a proposed procurement
route for the delivery of apprenticeship standards, using the
Public Sector purchasing consortium Yorkshire Purchasing
Organisation (YPO) framework.

Decision
Made:That

(1) approval be given to
the use of the OJEU-compliant YPO Framework for the delivery of
apprenticeship training standards. This new procurement approach
will be used to identify and deliver all future apprenticeship
training standards with immediate effect; and

(2) the Head of
Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member -
Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services be granted delegated
authority to award the Contract resulting from the procurement

Reasons for Decision:

To have an appropriate and best value contract
in place for the delivery of apprenticeship training standards.

The YPO framework provided a flexible
approach, enabling the Council to respond in a timely manner to any
requests for new apprenticeship training opportunities that are not
currently available. This approach would enable the Council to make
the most of the apprenticeship levy by supporting the training,
development and succession planning of the Council’s core
service areas and Sefton Schools.

The Cabinet considered the
report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing which provided
details of the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for
2018 to 2023. The report indicated that the Homelessness Act 2002
requires every Local Authority to carry out a homelessness review
in its Borough every 5 years, to develop and publish a Homelessness
and Rough Sleeping Strategy based on this review and to consult
with other statutory and voluntary organisations. This is
Sefton’s fourth review and builds upon the work of the first
three carried out in 2003, 2008 and 2013.

The draft Strategy takes
account the requirements of the recent Homeless Reduction Act 2017,
which places more emphasis on prevention of homelessness and the
subsequent duties which have now been placed on the Housing
Authority and Public Authorities.

Decision
Made:That

(1) the Council’s
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy be approved;
and

(2)
the Head of Economic Growth and Housing in consultation with
Cabinet Member - Communities and Housing be given delegated
authority to put in place a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping
Strategy action plan, which will help deliver the strategy and
monitor delivery.

Reasons for Decision:

The Homelessness Act 2002
required every Local Authority to publish a Homelessness and Rough
Sleeping Strategy at least every 5 years. The existing Strategy was
published in September 2013 and is due to be renewed.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Homelessness Act 2002,
makes it a legal requirement for every Local Authority to carry out
a homelessness review every 5 years, and to develop and publish a
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy based on this review. The
only options relate to the agreed contents of a
Strategy.

The
Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Locality Services
which provided details of proposals to invite tenders through an
OJEU Open procurement procedure, for the provision of a land based
coastal remote sensing services to collect a range of datasets to
support sustainable coastal management decisions as the total
contract value (£5m) exceeds 3 x the relevant OJEU Threshold,
currently £181,302, totalling £543,906.

Decision
Made: That

(1)approval be given to the procurement of land based
coastal remote sensing services, using an OJEU Open Tender
procedure, as outlined in the report;

(2)
approval be given to the contract period of 2 years from 1 May 2019
to 31March 2021, with 2 x 12-month option periods available
following the core period; and

(3)
the Head of Locality Services, in consultation with the Cabinet
Member – Health and Wellbeing be granted delegated authority
to award the contract resulting from the procurement.

Reasons for Decision:

The Council host the North West Regional Monitoring Programme which
is 100% grant funded by the Environment Agency. The programme
collects a range of coastal monitoring data across the North West.
A number of frameworks exist for the collection of these datasets
using traditional methods such as aerial photography and ground
surveys. There have been a number of significant advances in data
collection using remote sensing technology. A framework was
required to enable installation of these systems as and when
opportunities and funding become available. A framework would be
the most efficient method of procurement for these services. As the
value of the framework (£5m) exceeded 3 x the relevant OJEU
Threshold, currently £181,302, totalling £543,906,
approval is sought from Cabinet for the procurement
process

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Deployments would be considered
on a case by case basis, but this would significantly increase the
number of procurement exercises and associated officer time. It
could also result in several different systems being introduced
that would reduce the efficiencies and compatibility across the
region.

The Cabinet considered the
report of the Executive Director which sought authorisation
to appoint a nominated shareholder representative for Sefton New
Directions Limited (“New Directions”), in order to
strengthen governance and support continued growth of the
business.

Decision
Made:That

(1)
Councillor Cummins, Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care be
appointed as the shareholder representative for New Directions;

(2) the
shareholder representative be granted delegated authority to
appoint new members (excluding elected members) of the New
Directions Board; and

(3) the
shareholder representative be granted delegated authority to
approve the updated articles of association for the New Directions
Board, and the Strategy and Business Plan.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure more robust governance is in place
for the New Directions business, as well as an approach that is
consistent with governance structures for the Housing Development
Company.

To support strengthening of the capacity and
capability of the New Directions Board, and in turn the continued
improvement of service delivery on behalf of clients and end users,
and the profitable growth of the business with existing and new
clients.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Maintain existing board structure and
membership

Maintenance of the existing composition,
structure and working cadence of the board would fail to address
the feedback raised in respect of the opportunities to strengthen
governance, relationships and performance.

Widen board membership, also establishing an
Executive Committee

Although this would entail addition of new
board members and their expertise, there is a risk that the
formation of an Executive Committee above the Board itself would
undermine the status of the latter, and potentially create a
“board within a board”. Such a structure may also add
increasing complexity to governance process, and would be
inconsistent with the board structure of the Housing Development
Company.

The Cabinet considered the
report of the Chief Planning Officer which provided details of
proposals toadopt theLydiate and Maghull Neighbourhood Planspart of the statutory Development Planfor
Seftonas required by the Town and Country
Planning Act 1990 and the Localism Act 2011, to enable the plans to
be used to determine planning applications inLydiate and Maghull Parishesin addition
to the Local Plan.

Neighbourhood Plans can be
prepared by the local community to guide development in their local
area. Once they have been submitted to the Council, the Local
Planning Authority has a legal duty to arrange an independent
examination of the submitted Plan to make sure it meets the
‘basic conditions’ and determine whether it can go to
referendum.

Following examination, the
respective Examiners have recommended that both the Lydiate and
Maghull Neighbourhood Plans can proceed to referendum. These were
held on 18December 2018.As a result of the
Referendum, the Council is required, in accordance with legislation
to formally ‘make’ both the Lydiate and the Maghull
Neighbourhood Plans as over 50% of those who voted were in favour
of the Plans.

As long as a simple majority of
those who vote (50% + 1) in each parish vote in favour of their
respective Plans (i.e. agree with the proposals in their
respective Plan) being approved, the Council has a
legal duty to adopt the Neighbourhood Plans as part of the
Development Plan for Sefton.

Decision
Made:That

(1) it
be noted thatthe Lydiate and Maghull
Neighbourhood Plans were passed at referendum; and

(2)
the Council be recommended to adopt Council the Lydiate and Maghull
Neighbourhood Plans part of the Development Plan for
Sefton.

Reasons for Decision:

The
preparation of theLydiate and Maghull
Neighbourhood Planshave followed the
statutory procedures set out in The Neighbourhood Planning
(General) Regulations 2012 (as amended). The plans have
successfully undergone examination, have satisfied the basic
conditions and are in conformity with the Sefton Local Plan. Where
a Referendum results in a majority ‘yes’ vote, the
Local Planning Authority was required to adopt the Neighbourhood
Plan within 8 weeks of the referendum decision in accordance with
Regulations. This would enable the Council to use theLydiate and Maghull Neighbourhood Plansto determine planning applications in the respective
parishes.